Collapsible sweater and clothes dryer



Dec. 20, 1966 M. HOODlS 3,

COLLAPSIBLE SWEATER AND CLOTHES DRYER Filed Dec. 21, 1965 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR M/fiV/IV HOOD/5 ATTORNEY Dec. 20, 1966 M. HOODIS COLLAPSIBLE SWEATER AND CLOTHES DRYER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 21, 1965 INV ENT OR M4214 #OOD/ m w ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,292,561 COLLAPSIBLE SWEATER AND CLOTHES DRYER Marvin Hoodis, 223 Lenox Road, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11226 Filed Dec. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 515,414 1 Claim. (Cl. 108-118) This invention relates to clothes dryer racks and the like, and more especially, to a light, cheap, foldable and portable utility clothes dryer rack having an aerated netting secured thereon in a suitable manner. The new composite clothes dryer is adaptable to be folded into a light and compact unit during travel, storage, or when moved about the household during the chores of the busy housewife about her home. I

Today there are many costly, fragile, or heavy racks for use of the housewife, many of which do not meet the needs or adequately perform the chores of the busy housewife, with regard to improved and quicker drying of fine woolens and sweaters.

The instant invention solves the above problems by providing a strong, light, cheap and foldable portable utility air dryer unit which may be used as a dryer rack in a bathtub or similar place which lets the wet laundry thereon drip dry into a tub or other suitable place, with rapid ventilation thereabout in that the apertured nylon or other suitable net type of covering of this new dryer comprises additional clothes supporting straps below the apertured netting to permit complete and rapid drying of clothes thereon. The, netting on the supporting rack is so situated that air can circulate freely from the bottom as well as the top surfaces of wet clothing on the rack permitting the clothes to dry rapidly on both sides thereof at the same time.

The units of clothing dried on this dryer keep their shape as it is easy to pin or fasten the edges of each piece of clothing to the correct size on the netting of this new dryer rack. This novel drying rack is most necessary for drying fine knit wear, sweaters, scarfs, nightly lingeries and the like to prevent their stretching out of shape. The shortened drying time required for the clothing on this new rack helps to prevent mildew thereon.

This unique clothes dryer, in general, comprises a universal support frame and net covering, said frame structure having sturdy and foldable legs attached thereto which is suitable to support desired clothing thereon. This new clothes dryer rack may be folded after use into a compact unit for storage thereof in confined places about the household.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a light and sturdy universal frame for supporting an aerated netting of suitable material secured thereto for supporting and drying various knit wear, delicate unmentionables and other desired units of clothing thereon as commonly found around the home or household.

Another object of this invention is to provide an attractive cheap, strong, light and portable utility support rack and drying net thereon which is portable when the dryer is folded into a compact unit during travel or use about the household or apartment.

A further object of this invention is to provide a dependable and tubular drier support frame unit which is sturdy and portable so as to be easy and cheap to manufacture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a light and portable net dryer supported by a frame means in which each pair of legs are pivotally secured together adjacent their lower ends such that the drying net covering projects beyond the support base of the supporting legs thereof such that the unit occupies a minimum of floor space and is simple in arrangement and has a minimum of parts to be compact when folded.

7 Patented Dec. 20, 1966 A further object of the invention is to provide a support stand having toed-in lower leg portions for use in a bathtub or other confined support space.

Another object of the invention is to provide a drying rack having a larger clothes drying area than the floor area required to support the rack thereon.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clothing dryer rack which has a minimum height so as not to protrude too high above the bottom of a bathtub when supported thereon.

Other objects and features of novelty will become apparent from the following specification when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view in elevation of a preferred embodiment of the invention comprising a new support stand having cooperating toed-in base legs suitably covered with a top of aerated netting material thereon including horizontal side seams of reinforcing binding material and end seams of like material sewn thereto;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of FIGURE 1 showing the apertured netting connected to the support frame of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation view of the rack and dry ing net of FIGURE 1 extended in support position for placing clothes thereon as shown in solid lines, also is shown the position of the supporting frame members and net covering of the dryer in slightly folded form as further shown in broken lines;

FIGURE 4 is a partial sectional view of the pivot means of securing together each pair of legs of the dryer support frame as taken on lines 44 of FIGURE 3 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 5 is a side view in elevation of the clothes dryer after being substantially folded into a compact unit;

FIGURE 6 is an end View of FIGURE 5 showing the inwardly extending position of the base of the support legs in folded position; I

FIGURE 7 is a partial sectional view of the ventilated net covering means on the support frame of the instant new dryer taken on lines 77 of FIGURE 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 8 is a plan view of a modified form of reinforced aerated netting of the invention having longitudinal diagonal reinforcing strips of materials sewn to the bottom side of the netting to prevent the netting from having a sagging or hammock form when laden with a more heavy load of wet clothes for drying; and

FIGURE 9 is a further modified form :of netting material of the drier of FIGURE 1 in which the netting of the new dryer has an intermediate support pleat of rein forcing material sewn thereto.

In the drawings like reference characters represent like parts.

Referring now to the exemplary embodiment of the invention as shown by FIGURES 1 through 6, the new clothes dryer 2% comprises, in general, a net means 21, and a pair of substantially U-shaped toed-in leg members 22 being pivotally connected by rivet 24 in flattened leg portions 23 and apertures 26 of leg members 22 therein, as shown. The ends 27 of each leg member has a suitable rubber like or plastic shoe 28 thereon to make such leg members substantially slip-proof on a supporting surface and to prevent the leg members from marking or scratching a supporting floor, bathtub bottom or the like. The rivet, pin or bolt means 24 is uniquely located as a pivot means in the lower portion of each leg member 22 for stability and so that the lower end 27 of the leg members 22 when unfolded for use in a support position, the net means 21 will overhang the supporting lower leg portions 27 to be supported by a compact support space like a laundry or bathtub or small apartment floor space, allowing the upper net means 21 to be taut and project over such support space allowing small articles to be placed on the floor beneath drying net means 21, if desired.

Referring to FIGURES 1 through 6, drying net means 21 is secured by strips of suitable reinforcing plait or pleat material 34 and 42 to net 21 adjacent to the top portion 36 of leg members 22 and sewn thereto with thread-like stitching means 34 and 43, respectively. The netting material 21 when so reinforced makes for a lighter drying rack and is adapted for drying light articles such as stockings, lingerie, curtains and the like in that only the edges of the netting material 21 are reinforced by plates 34 and 42 sewn thereto by stitching 38 and 43 respectively, as shown.

In FIGURE 8 netting material 21 is further reinforced by longitudinal diagonal plaits 21a sewn or suitably attached by stitching means 29 to the bottom surface of netting 21 to prevent the netting from having a sagging or hammock form when laden with a more heavy load of wet clothes for drying, such as, heavy sweaters, throw rugs, or other similar materials.

FIGURE 9 is similar to FIGURE 1, except that intermediate plait material 44 is sewn by thread like seam means 45 to netting material 21 to reinforce same at the intermediate folded portion 44 of same to prevent wear thereon due to severe usage during folding of dryer 20 for future use and the like.

In use, dryer 20 is unfolded from a compact unit as shown in FIGURES and 6 and secured on a suitable base (not shown) as indicated in FIGURES 1 and 3 in solid lines.

The leg members 22 may be made of plastic material or any tubular metal which is non-corrosive or any suitable metal which may be coated with an attractively colored and thick vinyl or like coated finish, as desired, to make the dryer substantially rust-proof and mildew-proof.

'It is to be understood, that the netting material, pleat materials and legs 22 may be attractively decorated in any combination of decorative colors, as desired, within the purview of this invention.

It is to be understood that the particular embodiments of the invention described herein are presented by "way of illustration only, and not by restriction, and that various other arrangements, variations and adaptations may be devised therefor without departing from the true scope of the invention.

Iclaim:

A collapsible clothes dryer particularly adapted for positioning in a bath tub, and comprising a pair of inverted U-shaped leg members with each leg member having a top portion and leg portions extending down: wardly therefrom, means pivotally connectingthe lower portions of corresponding of said leg portions of said leg members, a pair of flexible parallel longitudinal plait strips interconnecting the top portions of said leg members near the ends thereof, a pair of transverse plait strips connected between said longitudinal plait strips near the ends thereof but inwardly of said leg member top portions, flexible netting material secured to said leg member top portions and to said longitudinal and transverse plait strips, said leg portions being inclined inwardly such that the ends of each leg portion are positioned inwardly of said longitudinal plait strips whereby the leg portion ends may be positioned in a confined space.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 213,259 3/1879 Stewart 108-l18 1,209,679 12/1916 Decker 108-118 X 2,084,854 6/1937 McCarthy 108 119 X 2,841,797 7/11958 Kennedy 108-119 X 2,987,109 6/1961 Sohmer 108118 X 3,122,397 2/1964 Mintz 248164 3,136,272 6/1964 Springman 108118 3,189,382 6/ 1965 Fortier 297 441 FOREIGN PATENTS 956,560 4/ 1964 Great Britain.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

G. O. FINCH, Assistant Examiner. 

